Thanksgiving

I trust everyone had a very happy Thanksgiving. I hope that everyone enjoyed their mini vacation. We are back in full academic swing on Monday 2 December. We only have approximately three weeks before the winter break and we will use each and every minute to our fullest advantage. A few dates to keep in mind: Thursday 12 December: 2nd/3rd grade PTO Showcase @ 5:30 p.m. Friday 20 December: Winter party. I will provide nachos for the students. Please feel free to send in snacks/drinks etc. for the party.

Mr Popper's Penguins Projects

Students were given a choice of two projects that they were to complete as a wrap up of our Mr. Popper's Penguin unit. Some of the students decided to create dioramas while others created a poster. Both of the projects required students to complete a persuasive paragraph. The students did a really great job on their projects.

Resources

I am implementing a new web-based program called MobyMax in our classroom. Students will use MobyMax during ELA and Math review times. Please feel free to have your child work on MobyMax from home. I have place a link to MobyMax in the links section on the right hand sidebar. Students username is their first name (lowercase) and the password is their first name (lowercase). This program is case sensitive so please make sure they are using all lowercase when logging in and for their password. Another feature is the ability for parents to monitor/check your child's progress. Just select parent from the drop down menu and login using your child's username and password. I hope that everyone will enjoy this program and use it to enhance learning.

American Heroes

During the 2nd nine weeks, our reading will focus on nine great Americans. Each week we will pick one American to study. We will read and discuss the lives of Americans who expanded people's rights and freedoms in a democracy. We will also study their character traits. The nine Americans are: Paul Revere (independence), Frederick Douglass (civil rights), Susan B. Anthony (women's rights), Mary McLeod Bethune (education), Franklin D. Roosemelt (New Deal and WW II), Eleanor Roosevelt (United Nations and human rights), Thurgood Marshall (civil rights), Lyndon B. Johnson (Great Society and voting rights), and Cesar Chavez (worker's rights). We will also look at the social barriers, restrictions, and obstacles that these historical figures had to overcome and describe how they overcame them. We will begin this series with Eleanor Roosevelt.

Multiplication Sundaes

This week we began our unit study over multiplication. We will focus on various strategies for solving multiplication problems. These include drawing a picture, using repeated addition and making an array. The students will also learn the Commutative, Associative, Distributive, Identity, and Zero properties of multiplication. To help promote mastery of the facts (0-12) we will be having a classroom incentive. Each week students will take a timed quiz over the selected fact for the week. The quiz will consist of thirty questions and students will have three minutes to complete each quiz (this allows approximately six seconds per problem). With each quiz, students will be building ice-cream sundaes for the facts that they master. Students will not be able to retake a fact test. The multiplication table for the week will go home on Wednesday and the students will take their test on Tuesday (with the exception of this week...the multiplication table will come home tomorrow and the test will be on Tuesday). I urge you to practice the multiplication facts at home with your child. This is one skill that will take repeated practice and memorization to master. Flash cards, oral repetition, and games on the computer are great ways for students to study their facts. If they know a fact easily, move on to more difficult facts to practice. Facts should also be practiced out of sequence. When you practice them, don’t just do 1 x 2, but also 2 x 1; this demonstrates the Commutative Property and helps them realize that once they have learned one fact, they have actually learned two! If you have any questions please let me know.

Math Homework

Beginning on Monday (9/23), there will be a change with the Math homework.  Previously the students have completed a spiral review that touches on each of the standards presented in our Math curriculum.  While students will continue to complete a spiral review for Math homework, the format has changed.  Beginning on Monday the entire homework for the day will be on one side of the paper.  Students will bring home a Math homework packet that has 2 pages (front and back).  Monday will be side one, Tuesday will be on the back etc.  It is my intention that this will enable students to complete their Math homework in it's entirety.   Many students were forgetting to turn over the paper and thus not completing all of their Math.

Ocean Habitat

On Friday we went to the Burton 4-H Center on Tybee Island. Students learned about the swmap/marsh habitats as well as the ocean habitat and ocean ecology. We learned about the rack line, high tides and low tides and the different zones found on the beach. The class enjoyed a day at the beach, the marsh and looking a zoo plankton through a microscope. While on the beach, the students learned how the sea oats stop the sand and deposit it on the ground. When enough sand is deposited a dune is formed. The students played a sea oats/sand game to how them ensure their understanding of how this works. Ask your child about the different zones found on the beach.

Technology in the 21st Century Class

Each week we progress monitor reading and math. In previous years my students had to go to the media center and use the lab for their progress monitoring. This year we are fortunate enough to able to complete our weekly progress monitoring using the mobile Ipad lab. We are striving to meet the needs of the 21st century learner.

Magnets

Magnets, magnets, magnets...we have been studying magnets and their properties. The students worked in pairs and small groups to apply the concepts learned. They also had a bit of fun having magnet races using a maze. The object was to see who could get their magnet through the maze the quickest.

Parent Portal

If you have not already signed up for Parent Portal, I strongly urge you to do so.  Parent Portal is my grade book in real time.   It is updated in real time as I enter grades into it.  If you have not registered for Parent Portal, please stop by the office.  They will be able to help you.
Large yellow envelopes are going home with the students tomorrow.  If your child brings one home, please sign the papers inside and return to school the next day.

Collaborative Math

Students often work in pairs or small groups to reinforce concepts learned during whole group instruction. In these pictures students are working in pairs, using a double dice to hone their rounding skills.

Homework

Please make sure that your child is completing ALL of their homework each night.  Many students are having to go to silent lunch and homework study hall because they are forgetting a piece of their homework here and there.
Students will have homework nightly (Monday through Thursday) in Spelling, Reading/Vocabulary, and Math.  In addition, students should be reading a minimum of 20 minutes each night. 
To avoid any confusion, homework is on colored paper.  

Wonderful Week

We have completed our first full week of school.  The students are getting use to our class routine and are doing well with being 3rd graders and all of the expectations that go along with the title.  We have hit the ground running and are deep into all of our subjects.
Fridays will be "test day."   Fridays will find the students taking a spelling test, vocabulary test, a reading test, and on the weeks we use our GA Weekly Studies, a social studies test.  This week begins our first round of tests.  I am confident that the students will rise to the occasion.  Please make sure that your child studies for these tests.
Next week we will have our first Math test.  This test will be on Wednesday.  It will cover place value and rounding to the nearest 10 and 100. 

Welcome to 3rd Grade

Welcome Back!!
I hope that everyone had a safe, enjoyable, and restful summer.
We will hit the ground running. Our first few days will find our class reviewing the rules for both Frank Long and our class. This is a necessity this year as we will have a new discipline policy/system in place not only school wide, but county wide.  We will being our study in Reading with a novel titled Mr. Popper's Penguins. In Math we will begin with place value, fluently adding/subtracting to/from 1,000 and rounding. In Science we will begin with our Magnet Unit and to round out our day we will use GA Weekly Studies for Social Studies. The Science Text and GA Weekly Studies have links in the right side bar of this blog so that students and parents can review the days lessons and study for tests. I have also included the Math text book as a reference. We will not work strictly out of the Math book, but will use it as a resource.
In addition to all of the usual subjects students will also be given daily instruction and practice in cursive writing. Students are not to complete any work in cursive (class work or homework) until all instruction has been completed. I will let the students and you know when they can begin writing in cursive.
Homework will be given Monday through Thursday in Math, Spelling, and Reading/ELA. All homework is to be completed nightly.  Students not completing their homework will have silent lunch and attend the Homework Study Room during recess.   Occasionally students will have Science and Social Studies homework.  I am confident that each and every student will rise to the many challenges that are ahead of them. I look forward to teaching, learning, and growing with each student. I know that we will have an OUTSTANDING year!!

Daily Schedule

0720-0800  Morning routine/AR

0800-0845  Reading

0845-0930  Reading Review/Language Arts

0930-1025  Math

1025-1110  Math Review

1110-1125  Social Studies

1125-1230  Lunch/Recess/Social Studies

1230-1315  Specials

1315-1335  Social Studies

1535-1405  Science

1405           Prepare for dismissal

Specials Schedule

Monday  Art

Tuesday  Music

Wednesday  P.E./Health

Thursday  Computers

Friday  P.E./Health

CRCT Prep

In preparation for the CRCT next week, we will review during the course of this week.  Students will not have spelling nor vocabulary words this week.  Instead, their homework will be comprised of review sheets in ALL subjects.   Study Island and OAS are also great sites to use for review.  I have also placed many different review ppts. on this blog which will help your child.
The CRCT will begin Monday (4/15) and end on Friday (4/19).  We will test each morning beginning promptly at 0830.  Testing should be completed for the day around 1100.  Please do not make any appointments for your child during the CRCT testing window.  All students should arrive to school promptly.  They need to be in the classroom NLT 0800.   Please make sure that your child gets a good nights sleep each and every night next week.  Please make sure that your child either eats a good breakfast at home or that they eat their breakfast at school. 

Classroom Request

Hi Friends,

I want to make sure my students have the materials they need to succeed. So I've created a classroom project request at DonorsChoose.org, an award-winning charity.

I'm asking for donations of any size to help my kids. For the next four days, any donation you make to my project will be doubled! If you know anyone who is passionate about education, please pass this along. Your donation will brighten my students' school year, and you'll get photos and thank yous from our class.

Here's my classroom request:

http://www.donorschoose.org/project/finding-a-hero-in-all-of-us/980741/

http://www.donorschoose.org/project/a-place-to-call-home/980736/

To have your donation matched dollar for dollar, enter the match code INSPIRE on the payment screen. This awesome match offer lasts through March 25.

My students and I greatly appreciate your support.

Mrs. Turner

Reminders

Progress reports will be sent home on Monday 11 February.
Mr. Popper's Penguins project is due on Tuesday 19 February.  NO LATE projects will be accepted.  Once you have your project finished bring it in to class.  You do not have to wait for the due date to turn in projects.
Students should be getting on OAS and Study Island regularly.  I sent home the username/password for both of these programs.  They are a great help in preparing for the CRCT.

Progress Reports

Progress reports will go home Tuesday 22 January 2013. 

Study Island and OAS Information

On Tuesday your child will bring home their Study Island and OAS username and passwords.  These websites are very valuable in reviewing information we have learned in class.  They will help to further prepare your child for the CRCT that will be given in April.
We will use both of these sites in class on a regular basis.

I will upload test questions to the OAS system beginning this weekend.  ELA will be first followed by Math then Science and finally Social Studies. 

Every student has taken the Study Island pre-test in Math and the majority of them have taken the ELA pre-test. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me via email rturner@liberty.k12.ga.us or by calling the school and leaving a message. 

American Heroes

During the 2nd marking period our class studied the nine American Heroes that are presented in our Social Studies curriculum.  Our new CCGPS for Reading incorporate these 9 heroes.  Students had to break into groups and they had to put together a power point (ppt) presentation.  Members of our class completed presentations on Paul Revere, Mary McLeod Bethune, Frederick Douglass, Thurgood Marshall, and Eleanor Roosevelt.
Following is the presentations the groups put together.

Frederick douglass from cisturner

Mary mc leod bethune from cisturner

Paul revere from cisturner

Roosevelt from cisturner

Thurgood marshall from cisturner

Odds and Ends

Beginning Tuesday 8 January students will complete the Spelling homework in cursive.  They will also have to complete their Spelling tests in cursive.  We will slowly add cursive to the rest of our classwork as the students become use to writing in cursive. 

Report cards will be sent home on Thursday 10 January.  If your child's report card states Promotion in Doubt; Parent Conference requested, please call the school and schedule a conference at your earliest convenience. 

ABC Awards are on Friday 11 January.

Welcome Back....again

We are back hitting the books for the 3rd marking period.  Time is flying by.  It seems like just yesterday we began school and here we are over 1/2 way through the year.  As we begin the second half of the year, we have a full plate.  Not only will we continue on with our studies in all of our subjects, but we will also devote time to reviewing and preparing for the CRCT.  3rd grade is a gateway year and students MUST pass the CRCT to continue on to 4th grade.  We will also begin the mandatory 3rd grade writing assessment.  The first assessment, persuasive writing, will be on Thursday 10 January 2013. 

The third nine weeks finds our class reading Mr. Popper's Penguins, studying habitats and continuing with our GA Weekly Studies for Social Studies.  Additionally, students will begin working with area and perimeter, learning and using specific formulas.  Other topics in Math that they will learn about include fractions, liquid measurement, time/elapsed time, and geometry.  Finally, we will continue our study of nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns as well as honing our writing skills.